Katy ISD's Position 6 board seat will sit vacant for roughly seven months after trustee Rebecca Fox departs Oct. 12, with no replacement coming until voters fill the spot in the May 1, 2027, general election.
Board President Lance Redmon announced the outcome at the Aug. 17 work study meeting, telling those present that no trustee had moved to appoint a replacement since the board first discussed the vacancy at an Aug. 8 team-building gathering.
No one moved to appoint.
"Essentially, it'll be open until our public votes to replace that position," Redmon said, according to Community Impact.
The decision means the district's seven-member board will operate with six trustees through the fall semester and into spring, a stretch that includes budget planning and the start of a new school year for more than 95,000 students.
Why the seat stays open
Under Section 11.060 of the Texas Education Code, remaining trustees could have appointed someone to serve until the next regular election or called a special election. But because less than one year remains in Fox's term, state law does not require the board to act, Covering Katy reported.
No board member offered a public explanation for why the group chose inaction over appointment.
Fox's departure
Fox, the board's vice president, announced her retirement at the July 27 regular meeting, saying she wants to spend time with her daughter, son-in-law and a new grandchild in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
"I don't want to miss that. I don't want to piecemeal that," Fox said at the July 27 meeting, according to the Katy Times.
She was first elected in 2004, lost her seat in 2019, won it back in 2021 and was re-elected in 2024 to represent Position 6. Fox said she planned her Oct. 12 exit to fulfill commitments as a Texas Association of School Boards director, including attending the organization's annual conference. She was re-elected to the TASB Board of Directors in October 2025 for a three-year term representing Region 4.
She also announced she will close her campaign account and donate remaining funds to the Katy ISD Education Foundation.
What's next for voters
Both Position 6 and Position 7 will appear on the May 1, 2027, ballot. Candidates must file applications with Elections Administrator Justin R. Graham between Jan. 13 and 5 p.m. on Feb. 12, 2027, according to district election documents.
